Warrington:Â Emotional Warrington players called on Australian fans not to trivialise the significance of their almost totally unexpected World Club Series win over Brisbane.
With four teams refusing to travel to the UK and the concept said to be headed for the scrapheap, the Wolves raced to a stunning 20-0 lead in a game that was, in turn, sprawling and feisty. The 27-18 result at Halliwell Jones Stadium was the first win for a British team in the World Club Challenge or World Club Series since 2012.
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Warrington Wolves 27-18 win over Broncos
The Warrington Wolves have become the first Super League team to win Club Series game.
But former NSW captain and Warrington fullback Kurt Gidley immediately predicted the stirring upset be underplayed by Australian audiences.
"I hope people don't undermine or look at the result of the game and think the Broncos didn't turn up to play because they did," Gildey told Fairfax Media. "I hope people take notice and take take the win for what it is.
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"It's certainly a game I'll remember for the rest of my life. Whether people think that's going overboard, that's just my emotions after the game."
Halfback Kevin Brown, who scored with his first touch of the ball as a Warrington player, added: "It's real frustrating because they do come over here and we do have an advantage with it being at home but if you win, it's 'we weren't taking it seriously'.
"And if you lose, it's sort of 'Super League's miles behind the NRL' so you can't really win."
Warrington coach Tony Smith said the night would be remembered for decades in the town but Brown, 32, was even more Churchillian.
"That will live with me forever," he said. "I grew up not being a rugby player until watching Wigan go beat Brisbane over there and that's the reason I picked a rugby ball up.
"They were my heroes and they did something special. If one lad is sat at home tonight thinking that he's 10 foot tall and he can beat the Australians then that would be a great thing that we've done tonight."
Warrington's unconventional penchant for charge-downs presented Brown with the opening try after three minutes. Centre Ryan Atkins and winger Matty Russell added further touchdowns from adventurous attack before a spectacular score by Broncos winger Corey Oates.
A 50-50 call from the video referee allowed the Wolves a further touchdown, via winger Tom Lineham, before the break and Brisbane couldn't reel in the margin during a second half that was somewhat ill-tempered.
Wire forward Jack Hughes would not have stayed on the field under the NRL's punching ban following the first melee while Brisbane tryscorer James Roberts screamed in dangerously to interject in a scuffle between Brown and and David Mead – but stayed on the field.
Brown said tactical information from players who had served under Bennett had been invaluable.
"There's certain systems that completely conflict with (things he does), like charging the ball down," he said. "They don't wedge up in defence on the edges so we … the try that Ryan Atkins got, we planned that all week.
"They're not massive, either, on the edges. Especially on the edge we were playing on, they had Hunt and Roberts together. We had some big boys out there and we said if we get some one-on-ones, we might be able to expose them."
Smith said in the media conference: "Everyone here, hands up if you thought Ben Hunt had a good kicking game tonight? That's because his first one was charged down. It has an effect on you."
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett also used the word "exposed".
"We came here when four other teams pulled out so we were extremely supportive of it," Bennett said.
"We played in a quality game of football. We wouldn't have got that in Australia in a trial match so we're going to go into round one a lot better prepared, knowing what we've really got to work on.
"There are a few things we got exposed on and we've got to go home and get them right."
WARRINGTON 27 (K Brown R Atkins M Russell T Lineham tries D Patten 5 goals field goal) bt BRISBANE 18 (C Oates j Roberts D Mead tries J Kahu 3 goals) at Halliwell Jones Stadium. Referee: P Bentham. Crowd: 12,082.